mersereau



Patented July 5, I898.

c. H. MERSEREAU.

TRUNK. (Application filed 0m. 19, 18974) 2 Sheets Sheet gNo Model.)

WITNESSES INVENTOR ami ATTORNEYS.

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Patented July 5, I898. C. H. MERSEREAU.

T R U N K.

(Ap lication filed Oct. 19,1897.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS m5 NORRIS warms co, vnoroumou WASHINGTON, n. c

(No Model.)

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CHARLES II. MERSEREAU, OF PATERSON, NEIV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE INVENTORS NOVELTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,892, dated July 5, 1898.

Application filed October 19, 1897. Serial No, 655,686. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. MERsERnAU, a citizen of the United States, residing in Paterson, county of Passaic, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apro pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a trunk with a series of tills or compartments pivotally or otherwise connected together, and which tills or compartments can be quickly and readily extended or unfolded to thus completely expose to View each and every section of the said trunk.

The invention consists in the improved trunk, its movable base or bottom compartment pivotally connected with the lowermost of a series of separate independently-movable but connected tills or compartments, and in the combination and arrangement of the various parts, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described, and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved trunk when fully opened, a portion of the top till being broken away; Fig. 2, a side or end elevation of the trunk when closed and in dotted lines when opened and with the tills extended, a portion of the end of the trunk being broken away to better illustrate the nature of my said invention; and Fig. 3, a View similar to Fig. 2, embodying a slight modification and illustrating the lid of the trunk opened and in dotted lines the position of the tills or compartments when extended.

In said drawings, ct represents a trunk of ordinary construction provided with the hinged lid or cover I) and having the top or upperportion 00f its front hinged or pivotally connected wit-h the lower or stationary portion d thereof, which upper portion is provided on its sides with flanges 0, adapted to engage the end portions (1 and a of the trunk, and thus furnish a firm connection with the same when the trunk ments f g h, which latter arepivotally connected with and between each other and on each side thereof bya series of parallel links it, while the lowermost one, f, of said separate compartments is pivotally connected with the base-compartment eby the parallel links m m, which latter, with their upper ends, are arranged on the rear portion of the compartment f and wit-h their lower ends at substantially the central portion of the basecompartment 6. For the purpose of strengthening said link connections and the said tills or compartments said compartments are provided on each of their sides with horizontal braces or strengthening-strips n, to which said links or arms are pivotally secured by screws or rivets.

It must be remarked that the height of the base-compartment e is substantially equal to the height of the stationary lower portion d of the front of the trunk, thus allowing the till f to clear said lower portion 61 and to rest on the top edge thereof when the tills are openedor extended. It must further be remarked that the various tills f, g, and h can be opened or extended independently of each other-that is to say, for instance, the top till it can be opened without disturbing the normal position of the remaining tills.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3 the necessity of providing the front of the trunk with a hinged upper portion is avoided, and thus the folding-till arrangement can be easily and quickly applied to trunks of various makes and construction. For that purpose c, the sides of the bottom compartment 19 are provided with centrallyarranged vertical elongated slots q, penetrated by the pins r 0, which latter serve as fulcrums for the links 8 5, connecting said bottom compartment with 5 the compartment above. By this arrangement the compartments 9 and It can be easily raised until the bottom of the compartment g is above the upper edge of the body of the trunk, when said compartments 10o loop or handle tis secured to the till 9 and V on each side thereof and extends above the edge of the body of the trunk.

If it is desired, a leg or legs u can be pivotally arranged on one of the separate tills for forming an additional support for said tills when opened or extended.

I do not intend to limit myself to the precise construction shown and described, as various alterations can be made without changseparate tills or compartments carried by said ing the scope of my invention; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A trunk consisting of the body having the upper portion of the front hinged to the lower portion thereof, of a base-compartment removably arranged in said trunk, a series of separate tills or compartments carried by said base-compartment and pivotally connected with and between but independently movable from each other, and a series of links connecting the said base-compartment with the rear portion of the lowermost of said series of tills, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A trunk consisting of the body having the top portion of its fronthinged to the lower portion thereof, a base-compartment removably arranged in said trunk and of a height 5 substantially equal to the height of the stationary portion of the front of said trunk, a

series of tills or compartments carried by said base-compartment, and pivotally connected 5 with and between, but independently mov-i able from each other, and means for pivotally connecting the rear portion of the lowermost of said series of compartments with the i base-compartment, substantially as and for? have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of the purposes described.

3. A trunk consisting of the body, a base compartment removably arranged in said, body and provided in its sides with one on more elongated vertical slots,iaseries of separate tills or compartments in said trunk and above the base-compartment and pivotally connected with and between but independently movable from each other, and one or more links pivotally connected with their upper portions to the lowermost compartment of said series and provided at their lower ends withpins or projections slidingly arranged in said elongated slots in the base-compartment, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. A trunk consisting of the body having the upper portion of the front hinged to the lower portion thereof, of a base-compartment removably arranged in said trunk, a series of arate tills or compartments in said trunk and above the base-compartment and pivotally connected with and between but independently movable from eachother, one or more links pivotally connected with their upper portions to the lowermost compartment of said series and provided at their lowerends with pins or projections slidingly arranged in said elongated slots in the base-compartment, and means carried by one of said series of compartments or tills for supporting saidseries when opened,.substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I October, 1897.

CHARLES H. MERSEREAU.

Witnesses:

WM. D. BELL, ALFRED GARTNER. 

